His Nurse
by blackenrose
Summary: Kate Holmes was struggling to pay the bills while working two jobs and trying not to be attacked by the aggressive pet cat down the block, when a stranger with a face she has seen only in her dreams appears and needs help. Who is he and why does she dream of him with such life in his eyes and two very human arms. (ON HOLD)
1. Chapter 1- Kate, just Kate

A/N I actually started this before _Bucky's Padawan_ and got the idea for it while writing this. I hope you enjoy _His Nurse._

-/-/-/-/-/

Present-

The former Winter Soldier looked rather pitiful up at Steve Rogers from where he was trapped by his silver arm. Steve could see the man had lost weight and was in knee of a shave since he last saw him. The past few years had not been kind to the man who was once his brother. Steve just wanted to wrap the man up and protect him from the world like what he had done to Steve many years ago. Steve remembered that with every new illness Bucky was beside him making him forget that his whole body hurt, that it was ok to laugh and cry about things.

"I think we should call Stark" Sam, a dark skin man muttered towards the blond haired one standing beside him.

"No, not yet." he said, Sam nodded understandingly. Many of the soldiers assignations had been slung over the newspapers, everyone was looking for the poor guy.

"I know a guy."

"No" the Soldier spoke up, voice rough and clearly struggling, like he hadn't spoken in months. "I know someone, who can help me" both Steve and Sam looked at him critically. Why didn't he call them sooner? The ex-assign sign and held out his flesh hand towards the pair.

"Phone. It's going to be hard enough to convince her." he grumbled, as Steve handed him his phone. Watching as he pressed numbers and silently held the phone to his ear as the two other men looked at him questionably.

"Katie?" there was a mumble reply that was clearly female. " I need your help" more mumbling and a bit of cajoling Bucky finally handed Steve back the phone. " she'll be here in about an hour. Don't hurt her. Please. " Steve looked at his friend as he pleaded, and he got the impression that had it not been Steve who found him or that Bucky remember him, the girl wouldn't have been called. He clearly cared about her.

Between the three of them they judged Bucky's mental state and memory loss while waiting for the girl. Five minutes after the hour had past a cab pulled up down the road and a slim figure got out. At first glance both Sam and Steve though it was a young boy but as the figure moved closer, the swing of hips and shadowing features said it was a girl. She carried a bag pack and was looking carefully around herself before making toward the three men. Her clothes were clearly unfitting and several layers and she wore a dark hat that left golden red,shoulder length hair sticking out the bottom. She had dark eyes and a scattering of freckles across the bridge of her crooked nose, she was smaller then the average woman nowadays but she could very easily pass for just another face in the crowd.

"Katie?" Sam asks, the woman paused mid step and glared at him. Her eyes burning, calculating the men's movements.

"Kate."she corrected " who are you?" Something in her tone tone reminded Sam of his mother when he did something wrong. Sam looks towards Steve but finds the super soldier staring at the girl like she was a ghost.

"Sorry, I'm Sam this is Steve." Kate's eyes flickered to size both men up before humming in what could be seen as a unimpressed manor before strolling pass them both to the garage where Bucky was trapped. The men follow close behind.

"Gee Sarge' what you do? Mess with the wrong girl?" She smirks as she drops her pack, takes out a wrench and places it near Bucky. Sam didn't fail to notice that it was nearer his free arm then his trapped one. Bucky let his lips twitch into half a grin.

"Thought I only messed with you," there was something close to playfulness on his face. Kate snorted looking over the device that had his mechanical arm.

"Only in your wildest dreams, Soldier boy." She poked one of his metal fingers which twitch in response. "You might have crack some of the outer shell but can't see the complete mess you've gotten your self in with getting this off." She turned to the two men by the door "hey muscle, come here and help me lift this." She knelt down to look at a different angle. "As soon as the pressure is off, move it out. You got that, Sarge'?" Bucky nodded as Kate, Sam and Steve moved the top of the clamp off.

Once free Bucky moved to stand but was push back down, rather firmly by Kate as she pulled out a pair of dark rimmed glasses and looked carefully at his metal plated arm. Sam watched surprise that the most deadly assassin in the world was letting this small, meek looking woman manhandle him. Steve watched his former friend wondering why Bucky had called this woman and why he clearly trusted her. There was something about her that Steve just couldn't put his finger on, something familiar.

"looks like the surface has a few hairline cracks, I can patch you up but you need a robotics exspert." She mutters to him quietly, before taking off the glasses and replacing them into her oversized shirt top pocket.

Sam nudges Steve and gave him a meaningful look.

"We know one. Come with us, Bucky." Steve pleaded hoping Stark would be in a more negotiable mood.

"see you don't even need me." She smiled moving away from Bucky to collect her bag. However she was stopped when Bucky's dirty flesh fingers grips the bottom of her shirt, like a child clutching at their mothers apron.

"Come with me." Bucky pleaded quietly, never once looking away from the woman.

"You don't need me." She repeated softly

"I always need you. Please" the pair simply looks at each other, a silent conversation passing the two. For a long minute no one said anything, then Kate slowly nodded her head and Bucky let go, releasing tension he didn't know he had.

"Fine," she mumbled collecting her bag and swinging it over her shoulder and refused to look back at Bucky for longer then a second. " but only because you'll just start pouting at me. Your lucky you're a pretty pouter Sarge' I'd have left you in your friends charge otherwise."

Years of being a trained killer, made Bucky move fast and silent. Kate jumped slightly when his human arm curled around her shoulder and he gave her a one armed hug. She grips the front of his shirt above his hips in tight fists and closes her eyes for a moment against his chest.

"Thank you." He murmurs into her covered hair and she knows it's not just for freeing him tonight.

"Ok, enough of the mushy stuff." She pulls away but shots him a soft smile. The pair talk softly together as Sam goes gets the car, Kate had started to fiddle with the buttons of Bucky's shirt and Bucky leans towards her, in a way Steve had seen the old Bucky do, both before and during the war.

Steve wonders as he watched the pair, he couldn't help the slight smirk that edged onto his face. It figures that the one Bucky attaches himself to would have red hair. Even after all this time, that hasn't changed.


	2. Chapter 2- Sister Layton

**1942, New York, America**

Steve said goodbye to his only friend in the crowd of the Modern Marvels of Tomorrow Exhibition, knowing Bucky would disappear into it towards his girl for the evening before being shipped out in the morning. Steve wanted nothing more then to be standing beside Bucky when that happens but the chances were slim. One last try he thought, before misery could over take him. Bucky squeezed his small shoulders, stepping back with a sad look in his eyes, although he shot Steve a smile before turning away. Steve watched him move between the crowd before pausing and watching something to the side. Steve followed his line of vision to a woman in a nurses uniform beside what Steve took to be a doctor making there way towards to recruitment centre. She was of a average high and size of a woman maybe a little slimmer around the waist then Steve was used to but there was nothing that made her stand out in a crowd apart from the colour of her carefully pinned hair. She was looking curiously over the heads of the crowd towards the exhibit on stage.

Steve rolled his eye at his best friend. The man dated many beautiful girls but always paused longest on the red heads, although the nurses tied up hair looked more like the golden orange of fire then the red of a dames lipstick. Steve watch Bucky visibly sign and shake his head before disappearing back to his original dark haired girl for the night.

-/-/-/-/-/-/

Steve re-button his shirt as the nurse, which had earlier caught Bucky's eye, held back the curtain for the Doctor she was with. Up close the nurse was admittedly pretty, with dark blue eyes that seemed to twinkle with the same playful mischief as Steve had seen Bucky's do. The man introduced themselves as Doctor Abraham Erskine and Sister Kathryn Layton. Doctor Erskine chatted to Steve as Sister Layton checked over the paperwork.

"Do you want to kill Nazis?" Abraham Erskine asked, Steve guested he was from Europe.

"Is this a test?" Steve questioned watching the pair carefully.

"Yes." Erskine nodded.

"I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like bullies; I don't care where they're from." Steve said truthfully and saw the pair catch each others eye and nod. Sister Layton tore a piece of paper in half.

"Very well, Mr. Rogers. Report here at 0900 in two days time."it was the first time Sister Layton spoke and Steve was shocked to find she had a English ascent. She handed him the paper she had torn off with the place and date on for the recruitment camp. As the nurse and doctor turned to leave Sister Layton looked back at him, eyeing him for a brief moment. "I hope you know what you're getting into kid." She was gone before he could reply. Steve redressed and looked at the address. This was his one chances, he thought.


	3. Chapter 3- Reason to Stay

A/n- Sister Nurse is a term used in Britain about Female Nurses, it was recently drop in 2010, as it was seen as old fashioned and sexist. In 1941 the rank of Sister was seen as Lieutenant and Senior Sister was seen as Captain in the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS)

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Some day when you leave me

I bet these memories

Follow you around" - Taylor Swift

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Present-

It took a few hours to get back to New York and a while longer to convince Tony Stark that Bucky and Kate weren't Hydra agents trying to sneak into his "playhouse". Sam had gone to get some rest before flying back to DC in the morning- Avengers emergency letting- Steve hovered near the to door way of one of Tony's workshops after talking to Natasha in hushed tones. Bruce Banner- who Kate had instantly taken to- hovered behind Tony's shoulder watching over all three of them carefully. Bucky was sat on a table with Tony looking at his arm and Kate stood behind his the other one copying Bruce. The pair looked like they were guarding the men before them, ready to strike at a moments notice.

"Impressive work" Tony hummed "you've had it repair recently, not by someone with a robotic degree" Kate huffed

"Told you." She muttered to Bucky, who barely moved, his head down, eyes burning into Tony's expensive leather shoes.

"mechanic?" Tony asked flickering his eyes to the young woman. She nodded. " where did you learn?"

"On the job." She shifted awkwardly "I don't have a degree in anything, but it's enough to get by." She mumbled. Tony nodded seemingly impressed by the work done on the arm, walking backward to grab a bag of stashed dried fruits he pointed at the arm.

"Good work. Not many people can fix up something that complicated." Kate was visible not used to any form of complements and pulled at her oversize shirt sleeves with awkward fingers.

" well, I-I did my best. What anyone would do, when a bleeding guy suddenly drops in on you and holds a knife to your femoral artery until you fix him." She mumbled. Steve raised both eyebrows at his friend and Tony and Bruce look shocked. The silence was long enough to for Kate to almost hide herself within her large clothing, when Bucky shrugs.

"I was having a bad day." He mutters like it explains everything, raising his face to look blankly at the pair before him. Tony blinks at them both before turning to Kate.

" he threatens to slit your veins and you're still here. Why?" Confusion clouding his face

"I couldn't just leave him. I'm pretty sure Megura- the garage cat- could have taken him on a won." She had seen the feline attack the debt collector on a monthly basic, but they didn't need to know that. "I couldn't leave him like that" she shrugged. She wasn't going to tell them that he felt more like home then her own tiny apartment. that when she was with him he was the first person- in a long time- that made her feel secure.

Tony looked like he wanted to poke more but was given a hint to shut up for now by Bruce instead he asked a different question as he saw Natasha's red hair appear by Steve and disappear again.

"What happen to your hands?"he asked bluntly, seeing the solider so slight look of interest. The woman looks to her own hands and the scared tissue and disfigured digits.

"Accident, long time ago. I don't remember." It sounded like a lie the black widow would spout. Making Tony want to know more about the woman.

"Very well. I can't do much more tonight until JAVIS has finished. Sooo help yourselves to a room. I have many." With that he turned to a display board while Bruce looks apologetic. Steve huffed by the door and said he would show the new guests to a room.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Later that night Kate woke to screams, at first she though they were from her own nightmares but After a moment realise That they were coming from down the hall. Kate remembers that it is only her and Bucky on this floor as the third occupant was out on business. She silently wraps a blanket around her shoulders and sneaks into bucks room. Concern colouring her features. She pauses an extra two foot out of arms reach, knowing how fast he can be and calls his name. This is not the first time, she had encountered the Serge's nightmares.

He woke with a jump and Kate found herself on the floor and the man she had been trying to wake on top of her. Hands flat to the floor on either side of her head as he snarls and glares at her. She blinks up slowly at him and hopes she doesn't look like a threat.

"Sarge?" She croaks as he blinks back into reality.

"Katie?" His voice rough and confused.

"Nightmare." She murmurs looking up in to ice blue eyes so different from her own dark blue ones and the curtain of his dark hair.

"Sorry." He blinks at her again then sits up so he is kneeling over her legs and she can sit up.

"S'ok. Everyone has nightmares sometimes." He looks at her full of sorrow and Kate just wants to wrap him in a blanket and protect him from the world. He stands and offered her a hand up. She pulls her blanket back over her shoulders, reviling in the cool warmth.

"Cold?" Bucky had managed to negotiate with the talking compute JAVIS to warm up his room a bit more. Bucky always felt cold. But now he stood not shivering in just a pair of track suit bottoms, he had received from Steve. The woman in front of him had a full pair of Cotton pyjamas, with the pant bottoms tucked into her socks and a blanket covering her shoulders.

"Always" she huffed. Kate had never really been warm at least she never remembered being warm. She tried to put it down to bad circulation but know deep down its not.

Bucky had a flash of distant memory.

-/-/-/-

 ** _1943_**

 _He had a pair of pale feminine hands in his, gently rubbing them between his own and blowing on them in an effort to warm them. He heard a woman laugh and smiles against her long delicate yet talented fingers._

 _"Bucky,"the voice was as familiar as his own but he couldn't place it, nor see the woman's face._

 _"You know what they say about cold hands, doll?" He knows there is a teasing tone underneath his words._

 _"Oh, and what's that?" Her accent definitely wasn't American_

 _"Cold hands, warm heart. Probably why you're such a good nurse."_

 _"So you think I became a nurse because I have cold hands?" The woman laughed and Bucky felt extremely happy to have caused it._

-/-/-/-

Bucky blinks and finds himself carefully rubbing Kate's hands like he saw his previous self do.

"cold hand, warm heart" he mutters, Kate looks at him oddly for a moment before grinning.

"Guess I must be really warm hearted then" she chuckles and Bucky flashes her a small grin.


	4. Chapter 4- Mom and Dad

A/N - the QAIMNS is Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service

 **QAIMNS rank = Equivalent Army rank (from 1941)**

Staff Nurse

Sister =Lieutenant

Senior Sister = Captain

Matron = Major

Principal Matron = Lieutenant-Colonel

Chief Principal Matron = Colonel

Matron-in-Chief = Brigadier

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

 ** _1943_**

After the celebration came to an end Steve found himself suddenly face to face with an angry Nurse. Steve gulped, he knew he was in trouble from the look on her face, but he did save the 101st and Bucky.

"Steven Grant Rogers! What were you thinking?" She growled, Steve was aware that the crowd had parted and Bucky was standing closer to his shoulder ready to give back up if needed, Steve relaxed knowing Bucky always has his back. "Brave? Yes. Foolish? Yes. Why on earth would you go into battle with a prop, Steven?!"

"Prop?"Bucky's deep voice interrupted Steve, looking through narrow eyes between the nurse and Steve. "What kind of prop? What does she mean, Steve?" He asked curiously, the slow roll of his accent meaning that he was already working out just what Steve had done and he knew he wasn't going to like it.

"The stage kind" she said sending Steve a disapproving glare while crossing her arms over her chest. It was a stance Steve remembered his mother doing a lot when he came home beaten up.

"A stage prop!? You stupid little punk, did you not think how dangerous that was?" Bucky choked, turning full to his best friend with a angry frown.

So much for back up, Steve though as Bucky turned on him.

Needless to say Steve spent the next ten minutes getting an earful from both his friends about the dangers he put himself him. The pair received a nickname from those who witnessed it, mainly the people that would later become known as the Howling Commanders: mom and dad.

"Now get inside that medical tent young man, so help you if I find one stitch out of place in the costume." The young nurse growled at Captain America, before turning to his dark haired friend and eyed him critically "you to handsome." she jerk her head in a jester for Bucky to follow the blonde, as he stomped into the medical tent like a misbehaved child.

Bucky raised his eyebrows at her. It's been a long time since any one called him that and admittedly he wasn't in the best state right now.

"Sargent James Barnes, but everyone calls me Bucky" he says taking in the woman fully for the first time. She couldn't be much younger then him, she was dressed in a nurses outfit, which was a grey serge colour, with white linen cuffs and a white linen collar, she had a lock of golden copper hair curling around her face as it freed itself from the muslin cap she had on.

"Nice to meet you, Sargent Barnes. I'm Sister Kathryn Layton but everyone calls me Sister Layton." Bucky straighten up and gave her a quick salute. In the months he had been in Europe he had started to get used to how the British way of things.

"Ma'am" he winked and shot between the canvas doorway before she could react. She huffed and marched after him. If there was one thing she was sure of it was that Sargent James Barnes was going to be a handful just like Steve Rogers.


	5. Chapter 5- Finding The Passed

A/n I'm sooooo sorry, work has been taking over my life more then usual. Enjoy.

-/-/-/-/

Present-

Two days passed quickly and Kate knew she had to leave soon. She knew the Sarge-Bucky- would be OK. He was a survivor, like her. Didn't stop her worrying though.

"Sarge," Kate whine , her bag already over her shoulder and she stood by the elevator "unlike your heroic buddies, I have a rent to pay and two jobs to make it up with. "

Bucky grumbled, she was safe, familiar and she was leaving. He knew if she had a choice she wouldn't but she needed the work to make ends meet and playing super heroes for a few weeks wasn't a guarantee that the jobs would still be there when she got back. Bucky understood, it didn't mean he had to like it. He nodded pouting, which he would later denial.

"Call me when you get home. " he pulled her into a hug and rested his chin on her head.

"Sarge'" she huffed, she was a grown woman and could handle herself.

"You have Steve's number" he squeezed gently. She signed, burying her face in his chest, closing her eyes. Bucky still didn't have his own phone, he contacted her using burn phones. Safer that way, he said.

"I'll call as soon as I get in, OK?" She relented, wanting to hold on to him a little longer. He shadowed her out into the street, were Stark had organised for a car to take her back home.

Bucky waited until the car she was in disappeared from view then went to the gym, then showered, then went to find Steve until Kate rang. It would take a few of hours for her to get home.

-/-/-/-/

Steve was looking at old photographs sadly, holding one away from the rest. When Bucky looked over the captain shoulder he saw it was a faded old group photo of six men and two women.

Bucky's brain iched.

He knew those people but he couldn't remember them. He studies the faded image carefully as Steve lays the photo down and moves to give Bucky room. His eyes switch from one face to another. He recognised Steve ...himself...and Kate?

Bucky pause.

The woman in the photograph could be Kate's double, however the woman was a little older, fuller faced and carefree. Much like his own. His own image stood smiling proudly between Steve and the young woman with his human left arm around her shoulders. His eyes bored into the mans who has his face and the woman's. He barely recognised the man, but the woman, the comparison to Kate was so similar they could be the same person, apart from her nose was different, almost strength, she had no scar on her right eyebrow, there was no shadows or sadness in her eyes and her hands, her hands were smooth and pale.

"Who-" Bucky choked out, "who is she." He jabs a metal finger at the woman in a nurses uniform. Steve takes a breath and watches Bucky closely. He had Natasha dig up old files to find them.

It hurt to look at them.

To remember faces long since gone.

"Her name is Kathryn Layton" the name meant nothing to Bucky. Steve sorted between the photo until he found another of the woman only this time she was in overalls and the photo wasn't as staged. Bucky saw the other him, again with his arm around her shoulder but he was brushing his lips to her cheek. He suddenly felt a flash of memory. He remembered the warmth of her soft skin under his lips, the smell of her perfume, how soft her hair was. Alcoholic wipes and car oil and apples.

He blinks at the grinning face. The woman had her eyes closed but the look of happiness filled every feature of her body. Her hand was holding the one that was around her slim shoulders. Their bodies curved towards one another. The pair looked like they were in love.

Bucky both wanted to remember that feeling and dreaded it.

"She was a nurse with the QAIMNS. Everyone called her Sister Layton but you used to call her Kathy, she wouldn't let anyone else call her that." Steve grins at the memory of the death glare Private Jim Mortimer - the Commandos's medic- received when he called her Kathy. Steve watches his friend gaze at the photo with longing. Bucky muttered the name, feeling a familiar weight of them in his mouth.


	6. Chapter 6- Almost

October 1944-

Bucky and Kathryn had been bickering again, at least that's what Steve had though as Kathryn was leaning over the engine of the latest victim to Dum Dum's driving and Bucky was leaning on the wall behind her, hands buried in his pockets, the first few buttons of his shirt undone and his cool blue eyes fixed firmly on the young nurse as she tinkered with something Steve couldn't see. The others had retreated upon seeing the red head start glaring at their sergeant. Steve shrugged and went back inside before it could start to rain again, rubbing his hands together to warm them against the cold air.

Kathryn had on a pair of army green overall that were slightly too big for her as she pushed up her rolled sleeves again, her burning red hair was tied up away from her face which was splattered with grease and oil from the car. She looked over her shoulder with a slight grin and a raised eyebrow, to see Bucky's eyes suddenly jerk up from where they were staring at her bent waist. He made a face and shrugged his shoulder at her when he noticed he had been caught.

"Are you quite finished?" She smirked turning to face him while leaning back on the truck and crossing her arms with a raised eyebrow. Kathryn had noticed that he tended to hover over her when she was fixing the jeeps after catching one of the other younger soldiers trying his luck with her. The young lad did not know that she was handy with a wrench or that Bucky was a step behind him, looking for the young nurse himself. The poor kid couldn't look any of the nurse in the eye for his whole stay at the camp, even when they tried to fix is broken nose.

"oh doll, I've not even started" he rumbled, and pushed himself off the wall and sauntered over to her, looking at her under his dark lashes. Kathryn understood completely why the other nurses flushed whenever Sergeant James "Bucky" Barnes smiled at them. "Come on Kathy,let me take you dancing." Kathryn narrow her eyes at him, knowing he knew full well she hated that nick name, and the insufferable smirk that dangled dangerously at his mouth. She inclined her head to look up at him and playful smile of her own in place.

"What makes you think you can keep up, sarge'" Kathryn watched him try not to pout. She had teased him earlier in the week about him being a 'pretty pouter'.

"I know I can." He leaned towards her, so close Kathryn could smell the soap and sweat on his skin. Bucky ducked his head slowly towards her when the air raid sounded, making both jump.

"Another time perhaps." Kathryn said softly moving away from him and shutting the jeeps lid, then turning down the lights. "Duty calls." The pair left towards their designated area. Kathryn to the nurses tent and Bucky towards Steve and the Howling commanders, both cursing the pilots and the ill timed raid.

Kathryn signed to herself, that was the third time she though Bucky was going to kiss her, properly, when they had been interrupted. The man set her nerves on fire, she couldn't think straight with him around her. She couldn't wait for the war to be over.

Bucky also sign in frustration that was the fifth attempt at trying to kiss her. The first two times she had no idea about as he talked himself out of them very firmly, but the last three. The last three they had been so close and just as he was about to touch those pale pink lips of hers, and the air raid would go off or someone would need her. He had half a mind to just kiss her, air raid be damn, but they both had jobs to do and unlike Bucky, Kathryn could lose hers for getting too friendly at the wrong time. He couldn't wait for the war to be over.


	7. Chapter 7 - Gone

A/n - Swear word warning

-/-/-/-/-

Steve phone sprung to life loudly, he checks the number frowning as Bucky shake the nurse from his head and reaches out for the Phone. Steve pulled it away, giving him a curious enough look. Not many people hand his phone number.

Bucky growled at Steve to give him the phone. Steve of corse chose this moment to start asking questions. Bucky knew the phone would only ring for so long before Kate would put it down, he leapt at Steve in a desperate movement to retrieve to phone, after wrestling it from Steve's hands he answering it, slowly moving off his friend and towards one of the large windows over looking the city.

Steve watched his every move from the floor. It look so foreign to see his best friend talking on a cell phone, one hand on his hip looking out into New York. If Steve didn't know any better he would have thought Bucky was born in this era instead of the 1920s

"Katie, where have you been?" Bucky rumble down the phone, whatever the reply was Steve saw Bucky roll his eyes in the reflection of the window and didn't even try to hold back a smile at the familiar gesture.

"You don't know how I drive...(snort) so your back now? ...who was that? ...Oh she sounded angry...I can't help it... .. no I'm not changing my name to Winter Worrier. ...you know, people are going to start thinking your English with the amount of tea you drink...(smirks) no you won't, you would be board without me ...What do you mean?...Katie? What is it?...Katie? Kate!? ...who is this? ...just let the girl go...no! wait! Fuck!" Bucky crushed the small device before he flung it across the room and stormed towards the door.

"Buck? What is it?" Steve asked getting up and looking at his friend who was pulsing with anger.

"They took her! They took her, Steve. How did they find her?!" he snarled wrenching open the door with force and making for the arms and weaponry floor.

"No Buck! Talk to me. Don't do anything stupid. " Steve chased after him calling to JAVIS to contact the others.

-/-/-/-/-

They had arrived by jet to Kate's building scaring the landlady - a hard faced woman in her late 60s with her hair in curler and a hair net and wearing a pink fluffy dressing gown, cigarette in one hand and a half empty bottle of scotch in the other.

Kate's apartment was open planned with only one door at the side where Bucky knew was the bathroom. The small window in what could be call the living room section was still broken after his last visit, the large fist shaped hole in the wall (that Kate had assured him was there before she moved in) was still peaking out from behind the large mirror Kate had placed in front of it, in an effort to make the place look better. There was junk mail, grease and oil covered rags and old news papers scattered around the place and the patched up couch looked comfortable for a change. Bucky glared silently at the room, while Steve and Natasha did a sweep of the place. Nothing looked truly out of place, but Bucky knew someone had cleaned up. Made it look like Kate never made it to the apartment, but they had put her cup (he had heard her setting it down on the phone) in the sink and left it. Kate always put everything away before leaving. Bucky bent at the waist to scoop up a scrap of clothing that was half hidden beside the couch. He looked at it carefully, twisting it in his hand. Her dark blue patchy hat, the one she was wearing when she came for him. He tighten his grip on it, closing his eyes tightly. She wouldn't leave it on the floor, or anywhere with Autumn already here. She had claimed the cold air gave her headache and she had threatened parts of his own anatomy when he tried to throw it out. It still smelt like her, car oil and fresh apples.

Natasha and Steve appeared in his vision when he reopen his eyes. Steve. Who in Bucky's head was a much smaller man then he but whose heart was almost too large, how strange it was to see him taking up such a large space in Kate's tiny home.

Natasha held up a small device in her hand. A camera, he guest.

"They've been watching her." What she said was simple and unemotional but it sent hot rage down Bucky's spine.

He flew out of the door, how long had they been watching her? Bucky hissed hot air between his teeth, he was furious. At himself and at Hydra. Could he never escape from them? Had he dragged Katie into this fight?

He stood on the street, breathing heavily, his head hurt and he felt empty again. Where could she be? Where would they take her? She was no threat to them.

The door to the small Irish pub down the street open, loud music spilled into the street, being heard over the midday traffic. The tune washes over the soldier and stirs up a memory from long ago.


	8. Chapter 8- The Irish Bar

**A/n** only a short one sorry.

-/-/-/-/-

 **December 1944**

The crowded room was filled with cigarette smoke, laughter and loud Irish music, from the band in the corner. The Howling Commanders laughter was the loudest, as other platoons bustled in for drinks at the bar. They was a parting in the crowd near one side of the room and the adjoining room were off duty soldiers, officers, nurses and locals danced to cheers and drunken laughter as the joyful music made them forget the hardship of the day.

Peggy sat at the bar beside Steve as he tried not to blush too much at her attention, the other Commanders sat on a table by the corner were busy teasing Bucky about his infatuation with the Commanders resident nurse. Said nurse was on the dance floor with her fellow nurses, relaxed and carefree.

"Eh watch it, Sarge' looks like someone is eyeing your girl" Jones chuckled as a young man who looked barely 18 years old but with marks of an officer on his jacket, stepped up to Kathryn with a smile that was both smug and a little unsure and took her hand.

Bucky eyed the young man darkly as he spun the redhead around. An officer at his age meant he came from a family with money, used to getting his own way. He could give Kathryn everything Bucky couldn't, but Bucky doubted that the young man would take a working class nurse back home to the folks.

"Don't worry, we've got you covered" his friends jostled him out of their corner and towards the dance floor. The group blended with the crowd and when Kathryn span out of the young mans arms to twirl with a fellow nurse, for a moment they struck, and Kathryn span into the arms of James " Bucky" Barnes. Kathryn would later denied that the joyful smile on her face brighten when she slipped into his arms and Bucky would claim that it could have lite up all of New York.

"Hey there, Sarge'" she purred and curled her arms around his shoulders as they stepped slowly and out of time with the beat. "Think you can keep up?" She asked as he smirked that dangerous smirk again, that sent pleasurable butterflies bursting in her stomach.

"Course I can, baby doll. Can you?" But instead of dancing, Bucky pulled her closer then society would have aloud if the war wasn't going on.

Then the Howling Commanders, did just as their namesake says and howled with joy as their Sergeant and the Nurse finally locked lips after nearly a year of teasing each other.

"Hey Cap'" Dum Dum cried over the crowd, finally letting the young officer go, " looks like mom and dad finally hit it off." He laughed. Steve looked over the head of the cheering crowd to see his two friends, and he lost his battle with blushing. Peggy gave a unladylike snort and hid a smile behind her glass. About time.


End file.
